Major Arcana

The Fool

I am the fool, merrily making my way toward my glorious future. There is only room for one on the road I travel, for my path is my own; it is unique. I have no concern for what others think of me or my choices and I do not concern myself with thoughts of risk or peril. If the road ends, it will not bother me. I do not need the beaten trail to get where I am going. You might see a stone wall as a barrier, but if at some point I feel the need to cross this field, no wall is too high for me to jump or climb over.

I have made my choices and do not look back. I will never know the road not traveled, but this does not concern me. I have no past; my concern is the exciting present and my limitless future. Life is a bubble nearly bursting with potential. Although I am excited about my goal, I realize that it is the journey that matters and I savor every precious moment.

The Magician

I am the magician, the druid. I contain within myself all the mysteries of the universe. All the ingredients for life itself are mine to use for enrichment and wisdom. I possess all the resources I need for my journey, wherever it may take me, and I know how to use these tools with great skill and intelligence. My skill affords me great power; I need not look outside myself for anything I require. With the power of my mind, I can accomplish anything. This is the magic of the magician. You too possess this magic within yourself.

The High Priestess

I am the High Priestess. What I know cannot be explained. My language is symbolism and archetype, for mere words cannot express the wisdom I possess. My wisdom lies within us all, obscured by the thin veil of the unconscious.

My potential is unlimited. My power lies in the depths of my understanding, as deep as the deepest ocean. I see truth in flashes of divine clarity. I understand the greater mysteries of life. I do not learn what I know; I know what I know.

You come to me for answers, and I tell you that you already own the answers. I teach you to withdraw into yourself and use your own intuition to discern your truth.

The Empress

I am the Empress. I provide sustenance for all children of the earth, and love them equally. I am the giver and preserver of life. I offer beauty, passion, sensuality and pleasure to all who connect with me. I am the ever nurturing mother, ever pregnant with new life and new possibilities. Take what you need. There is plenty for all.

The Emperor

I am the commanding voice of authority, bringing order to the chaos of your lives. I am the stern but protecting father, ready to defend my children and my principles. I prize law and order and will take the necessary measures to uphold it. At best, I temper my control with compassion, but I am also capable of ruthlessness. My principles are high and I fully expect those around me to adhere to my established order and to appreciate the structure I have provided for them.

The Hierophant

I am the divinely inspired mouthpiece of God. I hold the key to your understanding, your salvation. I have studied the truth as it has been handed down to me from the ancients. Having learned and understood our history and the truths that we live by, I now pass on my sacred knowledge to you and teach you to find your own truth within so that you too may live richly and fully within our sacred society.

The Lovers

We are spiritual partners above all things. We have chosen our associations outside of time and space and have contracted to meet and teach each other what we need to learn during our lives on earth. We have shared many lifetimes and have meant many things to each other.

Our connection is mutual, but not exclusive. There are many with whom we have bonded over the aeons of our existence, and we remain ever mindful of this truth. Above all that, we are aware of our connection to the entire universe. Our spirits are inextricably linked and intertwined with all beings, for we all carry the spark of the divine within us. Outside the trappings of our physical forms and cultural conventions, we are equal in the highest and richest sense of the word.

The Chariot

High above the world below, I meet the dragon. Do not confuse my courage with fearlessness. I summon the strength of the dragon chariot to fight my battles, some of which are real and some of which are struggles within my own mind. I gird myself with strength to fight off the monsters that haunt or torture me, and when I face challenges head on, I am always the victor.

Strength

I am the firm, yet gentle hand that guides the will of those who need my help. I am the healer that bridges the gaps in relationships and soothes the pain of disappointment or loss. I am with you for the long haul, for my patience and compassion endure beyond time and space.

I teach you that the greatest strength is strength of spirit, and that all challenges are conquered if they are met with tolerance, forgiveness, forbearance and compassion.

The Hermit

I have seen it all, I have done it all, and now I have chosen a life of solitary contemplation. I have found that the fire of truth burns within me, and my greatest joy is finding the stillness within so I may be at one with my Source.

I have withdrawn deep into the woods, for my connection with nature still feeds my soul. Seekers of the truth come to me, and I welcome pilgrims, teaching them to connect with their own divinity.

My concern is no longer so much with self, for I have found my genuine self and am secure in my value as an individual. I realize now that my greater responsibility is to the collective . My spiritual energy contributes to the evolution of the human spirit.

The Wheel Of Fortune

We are not a destiny imposed upon you arbitrarily. You have chosen us. You have already mapped out your own path, which we represent here. But you are also part of a larger plan and play a part in a larger cycle.

We churn through the customary seasons, and are subject to the energies of the four elements, earth, fire, air and water. We are governed by the movements of the sun, moon and other stars and planets. These cycles occur whether you are on board or not. Yet life is not only about expected changes. Upheaval, like lightning, can strike when least expected and forever change everything we know.

Know this – your life, like a mandala, is your sacred conversation with the divine. Be ever mindful of this when making your decisions.

Justice

I am a reality outside of time and space, a universal truth to which everyone is bound. I am the impartial and impersonal force that balances light with darkness, good with evil, action with inaction, through the aeons.

My tools are laid out before you; the ageless scale which balances positive and negative energies, the mystery of the moon, the creative energy of the sun, the pain of death, the waters of birth and rebirth. Take warning or comfort, whichever way you are disposed, that I always prevail, as balance is the natural state of perfection.

The Hanged One

I am the helpless embryo, completely at the mercy of forces beyond myself. I hang suspended outside of time and space, waiting, not knowing what is ahead of me. I cannot will myself out of my present circumstance. I have no choice but to let go, and let God. Yet, I myself have chosen this path, and in releasing control and entering this state, I serve a higher purpose and fulfill my contract with the universe. I have relinquished my power, yet doing this gives me greater power. This is the paradox of surrender.

Death

Whenever something is lost, something new is gained. This is my lesson. To be transformed, we must first shed everything that is unnecessary and keeps us chained to the meaningless, until we are stripped to the most basic shell, or skeleton. This can be a painful process, for human beings are not comfortable with letting go, with loss. But always, with the death of something old, comes the promise of something greater in its place if we are open to the opportunities that come with change. At this time, the future may be unclear, but have faith that you are in God’s hands now and always. You are a work in progress, on your chosen path to greatness.

Temperance

I am the divine unification of polarities. I am the perfect balance of creative and receptive energies, light and darkness, positive and negative, male and female, yin and yang. The universe is at rest within me in perfect equilibrium, perfect harmony. It is with the power of this supreme peace that I am able to offer refreshment and healing to all.

The Devil

You amuse me. You think I have you forever bound in my chains, but if you opened your eyes, you would see that it is not I that holds you in bondage, but your own fear and ignorance. I am the embodiment of that which you find distasteful and onto me you project all the darkness you will not face within yourself. You have created me, for before you lost your way, I did not exist. I am merely a mirror upon which you do not have the courage to gaze. In your blindness, I own you and you will belong to me until you find the heart to open your eyes.

The Tower

I am the force that knocks you off your comfortable throne and casts you into the sea, where you must make the decision to either sink or swim. I am the end of your world as you know it, yet I make way for something greater. My actions are quick and decisive and usually come without warning. I am the eruption of the volcano after many years of building pressure. I am the ripping force of an earthquake when faults are stressed too greatly. When I have completed my work, you may feel as if you have nothing left, yet in time you will see that you are far richer for having experienced my power in your life. When you feel my sting, look very carefully at yourself and what you have built; recognize your folly so that you do not repeat it. Above all, that which I destroy is most often oppressive, for people become trapped in the reality they create and slowly die inside as they mechanically go through the motions of surviving. Therefore I am best perceived as the energy of sudden liberation, of freedom.

The Star

Come to me, you who are tired and heavily laden, and I will give you rest. I am the regenerative energy of the night sky. I am the blanket you wrap about yourself when you are cold and blue and lonely. I will restore your soul with my gentle waters, with my dark cloak of serenity. You have been through much, my child, and have yet more to face. But for now, my dear one, rest a while in peace, and I will restore your strength. I will give you inspiration and hope to go on.

The Moon

I am the mystery of life. I am the depths of the unknown, the primal part of us all that longs for stillness, knowing that in stillness we find God. I am the energy of dreams, visions imagination, and enchantment. I grant wisdom and sight in the night. I wrap you in the cool comfort of my hazy glow and nurture you to health so that you can face the intensity of another day. I am often attributed with illusion, but I teach that all is illusion. I am the key to breaking through illusion, for only by exploring my energy and connecting with your inner guide will you see beyond. I challenge you to trust what you do not understand, for in trusting the universe, you will begin to know. When you know, there will be no more fear, no more confusion, no more illusion.

The Sun

I am the welcome burst of good fortune and clarity that floods your senses like the midsummer sun. I bring understanding and glory, happiness and freedom. I bestow vitality and radiance and usher in times of success and confidence. Bask in this moment. Enjoy it; savor it for this time will not last forever. Just as the sun sets and makes way for darkness, so my brilliance must, in time, give way to rain.

Judgement

I call you now to reckoning, my child. The day has come for you to face the truth about what you have created. Do not fear, my beloved, for you have judged yourself far more harshly than I ever will. You have already begun to reap the effects of your deeds, both good and bad. Remember, my child, that all humans have failings; in that you are not alone. A loving God lives within you and understands darkness as well as light. The universe is merciful and seeks balance, not vengeance.

I call you now to rise up and accept all that you are. Accept your virtues, your strengths, your weaknesses, your failings. All these are in place to help you grow and find your way back to perfect balance so that one day you will once again be able to dance among the stars. It is time to forgive, release and move beyond. Rise up and be the divine being that you were made to be.

The Universe

We are the successful completion of a great cycle. We have come full circle and are now whole, complete and in balance with creation. Our conversations with God have brought great blessings into our life and given us supreme satisfaction. Our world is in a state of perfection. Our sense of peace and harmony contributes great healing energy to the universe, with which we are inextricably connected. Let us savour this wholeness and allow its healing to renew us so that we may embark on a new cycle of life.